When Earth Calls
by thykayti
Summary: In her efforts to stop the Reapers, Commander Shepard has had to make some... questionable decisions, forcing the Alliance to intervene.  Post-Arrival, moderate to heavy Shenko.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Bioware owns the universe and associated characters; I just write about it.

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><p>"But when Earth calls, you make sure you're there with your dress blues on, ready to take the hit."<p>

Hackett's words still rang in her mind. Somewhere, deep in her heart, Shepard had known this day was going to come. It had only been a matter of time. She knew that the Alliance was not pleased with the mess she had made chasing after the Collectors. She knew that her actions were necessary, even if few who were not members of her crew understood. She knew that all she had done had been in her best efforts to save humanity, but no matter how much she tried to convince herself that the Alliance would see reason, a cold dread gripped her heart. Her fear was not of the punishment her superiors would issue; her fear was that, without her presence, the Reapers would finally succeed. It seemed that almost everyone in the entire galaxy was content to stick their heads in the sand and convince themselves that if they couldn't see the Reaper threat, then it didn't exist. She was an outlaw, a scapegoat, a heretic... and heretics must be punished to placate the masses. That was a fact that Shepard understood all too well. And now, with the blood of literally hundreds of thousands of batarians on her hands, there was no evading Earth's call.

Batarians. She would have laughed had the situation at hand not seemed so dire. There had been too many significant events in her life that had involved batarians. Her family and friends murdered and the colony she called home destroyed? Batarians. The colony she was visiting during shore leave gets attacked by hordes of criminals? Batarians. Granted, the Blitz hadn't been initiated by batarians alone, but a number of batarians had been involved; she ended up with a Star of Terra for fighting them off, even if she had been half drunk when the attack hit.

This time, though, she had singlehandedly destroyed an entire system populated by batarians. Even if her past actions could be overlooked, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Hackett would be able to do something about that, this one event was not going to be taken well. She knew it would be a catalyst for the ever-escalating tensions between the Hegemony and the Alliance. It did not help that one could argue the fact that the destruction had been driven by some sick need to exact revenge for what had happened to her childhood home rather than by the impending Reaper invasion. It seemed that that was the most likely route her trial was going to take.

Not that it mattered. Even if evidence made it apparent that she had acted in the galaxy's best interests and the Alliance felt the need to clear her of all charges, the Hegemony wouldn't hear of it. Like the admiral had said, the four-eyed bastards wanted blood. The only way to avoid an all-out war with the batarians was to show that Shepard was an outlier and that her actions did not in any way reflect the Alliance; she was an individual, acting upon individual motivations and was not at all associated with the government. Her charges would likely not be cleared and she expected that she would face imprisonment. She held no illusions about her fate. But, she supposed, she would rather be thrown into a cell for some indeterminate amount of time and allow the Alliance to focus their resources on the Reaper threat than have the Alliance recognize the truth of the situation and let her walk free. Allowing her freedom would be risking war with the batarian, a war that humanity could not hope to win. Shepard knew that the Alliance's resources were still strained after the battle against Sovereign four years ago. Humanity could not afford to fight a war on two fronts. Besides, the other galactic governments would hesitate to side with either humanity or the batarians. Now was not a time for the galaxy to be divided and if unity required destroying the reputation of humanity's first Spectre and the savior of the Citadel, then Shepard would gladly become a martyr.

These thoughts, these certainties, did nothing to quell her anxiety, instead ratcheting the feeling up a notch. Her heart was racing, pounding as though she was in the midst of combat with no backup... or as though it was that night before Ilos. She rested her head against the window of the ship, closed her eyes, and inhaled slowly and deeply, focusing only on the sensation of oxygen filling her lungs before she allowed it to escape the confines of her body. That night was high on the list of things she didn't want to think about right now, though she had to wonder if that was going to be held against her today. Given the rest of the charges against her, being accused of fraternization was laughable. But it didn't matter. Shepard didn't even know where she stood with Kaidan any longer; their last meeting had been confrontational at best, and the message she had received from him later had done nothing but confuse her further.

_Knock it off_, she chastised herself. _Now's not the time to pine for lost love._

She sighed as she felt the ship bump up against something, indicating that the vessel had successfully docked at the station. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Arcturus Station's docking bay. She had only been to Arcturus Station a handful of times, but it was comfortingly familiar. She, like her grandfather before her, was an Alliance soldier through and through, a fact that had made her forced partnership with Cerberus much more bitter, and Arcturus represented the heart of the Alliance and humanity.

A voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Commander, we've arrived," the young soldier sitting nearby said quietly.

She thought that that was obvious, but she didn't say so. The poor kid was clearly nervous; he had been fidgeting the entire trip. Shepard couldn't blame him. She knew that she was living history and just being in a room with someone like that would intimidate almost anyone. She knew the feeling; she had seen Jon Grissom once, when she was a recruit, and recalled being simultaneously terrified and in awe of the man. She was relatively certain Grissom hadn't even been aware of her presence; he certainly hadn't been sitting next to her.

_You are also living history that's been branded a dangerous and probably insane criminal_, she reminded herself. _The boy probably thinks you might try to tear his heart out and eat it._

Shepard gave the boy the warmest smile she could muster-one she normally reserved for her close friends and crew. "Thank you, Corporal." She wished she could remember his name but she had been too tied up by her own thoughts and emotions to really pay attention when they were introduced. Her brain had never processed the information and now she felt a bit guilty.

Addressing him by rank seemed to be enough for him though, as he relaxed a bit. "I've been told to inform you that there is an escort waiting for you just outside. They will take you to the location where the trial will be held."

"'Where the trial will be held?'" Shepard lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "I was under the impression that the trial was not to be held immediately upon my arrival."

The young man shook his head. "We were asked to inform Arcturus of your presence the moment you landed on the Citadel."

Of course. They wanted to get this mess over with as soon as possible. Shepard shook her head. She was glad that she had refused to allow the Normandy to dock at the Citadel, instead using a crewmember's contact to pick her up on Omega and transport her to the seat of galactic power. It hadn't been cheap, but it was a small price to pay to know that her crew was still out there somewhere, able to fight the Reaper threat. She wasn't about to let them impound her ship and detain her crew; her crew was obliquely associated with the events that transpired in the Bahak system. They were not going to take the fall for her actions, even though she had no doubt that they supported her decision… and anyways, she needed to know that there was _someone_ out there still fighting the Reapers.

She didn't intimate any of this to the soldier. Instead, she merely said, "I understand" and stood to exit the ship.

To her surprise, the young man stood and saluted. "Commander, permission to speak freely?"

"What's on your mind?" She was confused. He hadn't felt the need to address her in such a manner at any point during the trip. Why now?

"A lot of us know that you did what you had to do. There's something bigger than any of us realize happening here and we know that you've been fighting your ass off to make people understand it. Admiral Hackett and Councilor-former Councilor Anderson believe you. That's more than enough for us. Thank you."

She nodded at him once, a brisk, sharp movement. "The confidence is greatly appreciated Corporal. Dismissed."

She turned on her heel and, with a deep breath, stepped off of the ship. Waiting for her was a small group of men and women wearing the Alliance uniform. She couldn't see any weapons, but suspected that at least a few were armed… or biotics. The purpose of the escort was as much to protect her from others as it was to protect others from her. The Alliance knew that there were a lot of conflicting opinions about Commander Shepard. They weren't going to risk losing her to some particularly angry soldier or civilian.

A young woman at the front stepped forward and gave a brief salute. "Commander, we are your assigned escort. If you would follow us, we'll take you to where the trial will be held."

Shepard merely nodded and the escort fell into formation around her. She was led through a countless number of stark white and stainless steel adorned hallways and rooms. There were people milling about, soldiers and civilians alike. Most people ignored the group moving purposefully across the station. Some people recognized the Commander and she was given both glares and salutes, sometimes from the same person. Shepard always made sure to acknowledge the salutes with a brief nod. She just ignored the glares.

Too soon they arrived before a large, open door. Shepard was guided through the door to a seat near the front of the room. As she crossed the room, she quickly scanned the small crowd that was already present. Her eyes landed on a familiar profile and her heart stopped.

_What is he doing here?_ Kaidan was engaged in conversation with someone sitting beside him. She didn't recognize the other man… not that she cared who the other man was. _Why would Kaidan, of all the people in the goddamned galaxy, be here?_

_Does it matter?_ she asked herself as she took her seat. _He's a friend, an ally, despite what happened on Horizon. You know that. You need him here._

As if responding to her thoughts, he suddenly looked up and their eyes met. Shepard fought the urge to look away. She hadn't seen him since they parted ways on Horizon and she had never gotten around to responding to his message. She hadn't wanted to give him false hope that things would go back to the way they were in the event that she ended up dead. She couldn't hurt him like that. Not again. It broke her heart knowing how he had suffered in the two years it had taken Cerberus to resurrect her. His words on Horizon had torn her apart and she had spent countless hours lying in bed in her quarters, staring up at the stars and replaying his words in her mind. Her inability to articulate her feelings to him that day had enraged him further, caused his words to lacerate her heart deeper and deeper. Even with all of that, she could not blame him for his reaction. She knew what it felt like to survive the event that took the life of the person you loved more than anything in the galaxy… after all, she had lost her first boyfriend in the attack on Mindoir. She understood Kaidan's pain all too well and she blamed herself for it. How was she supposed to articulate all of that in one simple message?

The expression in his warm brown eyes told her that he had forgiven any perceived slight, reminded her that he was here for her and supported her. A small, almost imperceptible smile graced his lips and Shepard felt her heart soar. She returned the smile and found her strength in his eyes.

It was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Bioware owns the universe and associated characters; I just write about it.

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><p>Shepard's trial had been a complete farce.<p>

She had expected that, of course. It was political, and all politics, in her experience, were bullshit. Her trial, however, had been the most finely crafted bit of bullshit she had ever seen and, as a Council Spectre and officer in the Systems Alliance Navy, Shepard had seen a lot.

With a sigh she looked around at her stark white surroundings. _These rooms were designed to drive a person insane_, she thought absently. Her new accommodations were only temporary; she had been informed that she would only remain in the holding facility on Arcturus until "transportation to a more secure facility" could be arranged. It seemed to her that she should have been transferred by now. She had long since stopped keeping track of the days. It was better if she lost track of time in this place… better if she lost track of reality. Shepard's reality was contained within these three white walls and the fourth made of a strange, transparent material that was neither plastic nor glass, wherein she performed only the most basic functions of living.

Most of the time she slept. Life was easier while she was asleep. Sometimes she dreamed; on good nights, she was back on the Normandy, celebrating her freedom with all of her friends and crew, while on bad nights, she found herself trapped again in the rubble on Mindoir. Shepard relished all of her dreams, even the bad ones. They were an escape from the walls, the walls that were always watching, always felt like they were creeping ever closer.

_You're losing it. Walls don't move_, she told herself as she leaned her head back against the wall behind her. Shepard sat on her cot with her arms wrapped around her knees, contemplating her immediate future. She was craving human interaction, so she thought that she might talk at her guards later tonight. They were under strict orders not to communicate with her, but sometimes a particularly sympathetic guard would engage her in conversation. Most of the time, though, they behaved like the historical guards that stood outside of Buckingham Palace hundreds of years ago: stoic, never even flinching at the slightest movement or sound. Though they didn't respond, it was nice to hear a human voice… even if that voice was her own. _You are really losing your mind. Looking forward to talking to yourself? Insane._

For now, though, Shepard let her mind wander. It was the easiest way to cope with being awake. Often she wondered where her crew was and what they were doing; she often hoped that Jack and Miranda weren't trying to kill each other, even though such event would surely make for an entertaining story to hear when she returned to her ship. If she ever returned to her ship.

She missed everything about that ship. She missed her cabin. She missed her stupid little space hamster she had purchased on a whim while on the Citadel. She missed the stupid fish tank that was less of a fish tank and more of a death trap for any creature unfortunate enough to call the tank its new home. She missed her collection of model ships; she had always liked to pretend that she was watching a battle against the Reapers taking place in the little glass case. She missed the picture frame, placed next to her terminal in such a way that it was always in sight; she liked being able to pretend that Kaidan was there with her, watching her work. It always made the loneliness a bit easier to bear, if only for a little while.

Kaidan. The one person in the whole goddamned galaxy she felt she could trust without question, the one friend she had who didn't have questionable connections, the only person she could trust who hadn't been associated with Cerberus… the one member of her old crew who had doubted her. The doubt and anger he had expressed on Horizon had initially angered her. She had no right to be angry, she knew that, but it hadn't changed how she felt. She had hoped that Kaidan would understand, that he would be willing to look past her forced alliance with Cerberus, but she should have expected his reaction. She knew what it was like to lose a lover, but to see the person you love standing in front of you after spending two years dead? It had to be shocking. She couldn't blame Kaidan for being angry with her; had their roles been reversed, she probably would have thought that he had been alive and lied to her too. After coming to that realization, her anger had eventually abated… and then she had gotten his message.

It had broken her heart; the words that the message bore said spoke volumes in and of themselves, but reading between the lines told her more. It seemed that he had never stopped loving her and his love for her had almost destroyed him after her death. And if she knew Kaidan, he had thrown himself into his work after her death and probably never allowed himself a moment to truly grieve. She guessed that he had only just started to come to terms with her death when rumors about her return began to circulate. How confused and hurt must he have been to hear those rumors, to believe that she could be alive, that her death might have been an elaborate lie?

No. Shepard didn't want to think about that. She didn't like knowing that she had hurt him, however unintentional her transgressions had been. He had stood with her, even when the Alliance decided to turn its back. He had been called upon to testify at her trial. In retrospect, she shouldn't have been surprised. Kaidan had been part of her crew in the fight against Sovereign, after all. Shepard closed her eyes and immersed herself in the memory of the events that had transpired at her all-too-recent trial.

"_Commander Alenko, you were assigned to the Normandy SR-1 under Shepard's command, correct?"_

"_That's correct." Kaidan's tone was even, giving no indication of any thought or emotion._

"_Would you be willing to describe your time aboard the Normandy and what it was like serving under Commander Shepard?"_

_Shepard found herself suppressing a grin at the prosecutor's choice of words. Kaidan could certainly describe what it had been like to serve under her; she recalled a time when they had joked about the turn of phrase when they had been alone in her quarters. For his part, however, Kaidan gave no indication that such things had ever happened. Instead, he nodded and replied, "Certainly."_

_He launched into a brief retelling of the events leading up to the fight against Sovereign. The man didn't miss a thing; from Eden Prime to Virmire and beyond, he covered everything with the smallest amount of detail necessary. It was clear that he had done this before and had the story down to a science. Shepard didn't miss the lack of detail he applied to the time between the mutiny of the SR-1 and the ship's arrival at Ilos, something for which she was grateful. This was not the time for their previous relations to become public knowledge._

"_You admit to being involved with the mutiny of a prototype warship?" the prosecutor interjected._

"_I do. Shepard did what she had to do to stop Saren and all of us supported her. If she had allowed the Council to keep us grounded, we wouldn't be sitting here right now. The Reapers would have invaded right then and there and where would we be then?"_

_The almost imperceptible buzz of quiet whispers fell completely silent at the mention of the mythical race of sentient machines. The prosecutor merely raised an eyebrow. "You believe that the Reapers truly are a threat and are not a figment of Shepard's imagination?"_

"_I was part of the ground team on Virmire and on Ilos. I was there when Shepard spoke to Sovereign and again when Saren admitted that he was an agent of the Reapers. I heard the Prothean VI talk about what the Reapers did to the Protheans and how they wiped out an entire galaxy. I've seen enough proof with my own eyes to know that yes, the Reapers are real. Does that answer your question?"_

"_It does. Just one more and we can conclude. What can you tell us of the nature of your relationship with Commander Shepard?"_

"_She was my commanding officer." Kaidan didn't miss a beat. "Beyond that, I'm afraid I can't comment on the nature of any relationship I may or may not have had with the commander."_

Shepard didn't recall much after Kaidan's testimony. It had all been political and judicial gibberish, nothing she really understood or cared to understand. At that point, she knew that she had another ally in the fight against the Reapers and it had been comforting knowing that, once she was locked away, there were people outside of her crew who would fight against the Reapers. She didn't know that Kaidan would agree with that sentiment, however. When last she saw him, he had been gesturing angrily to Admiral Hackett, who seemed to be trying to calm the younger man down. She hadn't witnessed more than that, though, as she had been led out of the courtroom at that point.

Suddenly Shepard found herself wondering what was going on in the world that existed outside of her little cell. Being locked away made one's mind prone to such distractions of thought and Shepard was no exception. She wondered where the Reapers were. Did they have yet another backup plan for entering the galaxy? When the tentacled bastards managed to worm their way back into the Milky Way, would the species currently inhabiting the galaxy be prepared? Or would the Council continue to deny the existence of the Reaper threat even as the sentient machines surrounded the Citadel?

At some point in her rambling, wandering thoughts, Shepard had fallen asleep. She was suddenly aware of the fact that the guard posted outside of her cell was now a male instead of a female. When did that happen and how deeply was she sleeping that she missed the shift change? Things like this were happening to her all too often. It made Shepard feel like her already tenuous grasp on reality was loosening by the moment. How long before she completely lost her mind? Had she already lost her mind and she only thought she was sane?

"Stop it," she murmured to herself. Her voice was hoarse from disuse. "If you start thinking like that, you _will_ go insane and if you go insane, you'll just prove all of those assholes right. You can't have that."

_Says the woman talking to herself_, she thought bitterly. _This room really is making you crazy._

And that was when she saw it, a burst of indigo light out of the corner of her eye. Shepard was off of her cot and crouching near the ground in an instant. She wasn't a biotic herself, but she had fought against as well as at the side of enough individuals who had biotic abilities to be able to recognize when they were being used. Her guard was now nowhere in sight. She assumed that the poor man had been thrown down the hall and had probably been knocked unconscious by the blast.

It had to be a hell of a kick to launch the guard out of sight of her cell. A fleeting thought crossed her mind: was it one of her crew? She had a number of powerful biotics onboard her ship, all of whom would be capable of such a feat. But what would they be doing here? Were they trying to break her out?

They wouldn't. She had given them strict orders not to rescue her if she was to be taken prisoner. If the Normandy docked at Arcturus, it would be impounded immediately and the crew's plan would have been foiled before it had ever truly begun. But what if they had defied her orders? It wouldn't be unlike her crew to do such a thing; they were her crew, after all, and she would have tried to break any of them out despite what they had asked of her. It wouldn't be unlike any of them to try and stage a rescue attempt.

But what if it wasn't her crew? It could easily be someone who believed she was a significant threat and needed to be put down; whoever was out there could be here to kill her. She hunkered closer to the floor, trying to present the smallest possible target. Shepard wished she was armed… or that she at least had something in her cell that could be used as a makeshift weapon. She gave the room a cursory glance, even though she already knew what it contained. There was nothing. Whoever had set the cell up for her arrival knew what they were doing and had ensured that nothing could be used as a weapon. She swore.

That was when the door suddenly slid open, startling her from her thoughts. She mentally berated herself for allowing herself to become distracted from the situation at hand. A well-armed and armored figure stepped through the door. Shepard rose to a standing position, immediately recognizing the face of her savior. "What in the hell are _you_ doing here?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Bioware owns the universe and associated characters; I just write about it.

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><p>Arcturus Station could boast a lot of things. The security of its holding facility was not one of them. Kaidan knew that; it was why there had been a number of strings pulled to ensure that Shepard's transport to a more secure facility had been delayed. The facility on Arcturus wasn't meant to hold anyone for more than a day or two at most and Shepard had been there for over a week. Hackett had called on a lot of favors to make sure Shepard stayed where she was. His original goal had been to appeal and try to get her released; now humanity needed her and they didn't have the luxury of waiting on bureaucracy.<p>

Even with armed with knowledge regarding Arcturus's security systems, Kaidan was still surprised by the ease with which he was able to hack into the security console that controlled Shepard's cell. He shook his head as the door slid open. _This certainly is the finest security the Alliance has to offer_, he thought as he stepped through the door. He was greeted by the sight of Shepard crouched low to the ground, as if expecting an enemy rather than a friend. _An ally_, he amended mentally. _Calling yourself a friend after what happened on Horizon is optimistic_. He just hoped that she would be willing to trust him after everything that had happened. She had to trust him.

"What in the hell are _you_ doing here?" Shepard asked quietly, rising from her position on the floor. "I didn't think an Alliance soldier would have to break in to this place."

"I'm getting you out of here," he replied, handing her a pistol.

Shepard merely stared at the gun held in his outstretched hand. "If the Alliance wanted me out of here, they wouldn't have to send someone to break me out. What's going on?"

"We don't have time right now. We have to get out of here," Kaidan said. "I know you have questions and I promise, I will answer all of them as soon as we get off the station. But right now we have to move."

She took the gun and briefly examined it. With a nod, she said, "I'm holding you to that promise Alenko. Now get us out of here."

He chose to ignore her casual use of his surname, though its use wasn't lost on him. Now wasn't the time to think about that. "The way out should be pretty clear. We've got a few small teams acting as distractions to give us an easy path to the docking bay. There shouldn't be anyone between here and there but if there is, do not shoot to kill. We don't need any of our own people dead."

Kaidan was suddenly aware of the look Shepard was giving him. She didn't seem pleased by his direction. _She's Commander Shepard. When was the last time a former subordinate gave her a direct order? Hell, when was the last time _anyone_ gave her a direct order?_ "Sorry," he muttered briskly, biting off the end of the word to avoid adding, "Commander." Shepard wasn't his superior officer; he didn't have to address her with titles. After all, hadn't she been the one to insist that he not call her "Commander" any longer? But that had been a long time ago. Things had changed. They both had changed.

"Just get us out of here," she replied, shaking her head. He inclined his head and peered outside. The corridor outside Shepard's cell was clear, save for the guard he had knocked out earlier. The poor man was crumpled up against a wall at the other end of the hallway. The guard would certainly survive his little incident, though he'd probably wake up with more than a few bruises. Kaidan motioned for Shepard to follow him. She did so silently. He led her out of the holding facility and into a series of currently unused, twisting corridors.

Sounds of activity in other areas of the station were rendered almost silent in the halls they hurried through, though one could still make out the muffled sounds of distant gunfire and occasional shouts and shots that occurred in closer proximity. The distraction teams had done their job well; Kaidan hadn't anticipated that there would be many people in this section of the station, but there wasn't a soul other than him and Shepard. He was grateful for that much. Shepard was out of her cell, but they weren't safe until they were off the station. The docking bay was on the opposite side of the station from where Shepard had been held. Too many things could go wrong between here and there. They could meet a group of particularly well-armed guards or their ride out of here might not show up soon enough. Worse yet, the ship could be grounded the moment it docked, completely eliminating any chance of escape. There were supposed to be people in the control center preventing that very thing from happening, but sometimes things go wrong.

_Stop worrying_, he told himself. _Everything's in motion now. Whatever happens, happens. We'll deal with it as it comes up._

With little to slow them down, they were able to make their way across the station relatively quickly. Periodically they had to duck behind cover to hide from someone, usually a lone researcher or soldier, and wait until the unsuspecting individual had disappeared into the depths of the station. Other than those few delays, they were able to make it to the docking bay without incident, something Kaidan was grateful for.

The massive doors that led out to the docking bay were just ahead. And that's when they heard it: shouts and gunfire from somewhere directly behind them. Kaidan and Shepard both chanced glances over their shoulders. A group of Alliance soldiers were moving in their direction with their backs to them. The soldiers were shooting at an enemy that Kaidan couldn't see from his current location.

One of the soldiers turned and spotted the pair. "Go!" the man shouted. Kaidan couldn't recognize his voice amid the sound of assault rifles firing. "We'll keep them off you. Get Shepard out of here!"

Kaidan nodded and motioned for Shepard to run ahead of him. She looked at him, a quizzical expression on her face. "I'll be right behind you," he said. "I've got armor and kinetic shields. You don't have anything. Go!"

Shepard took off running at full speed toward the doors, and Kaidan was right on her ass. They burst through the doors, gunshots echoing behind them. Shepard suddenly skidded to a halt as she saw the ship waiting for them. She turned to him, fire in her eyes, but he shook his head. "Keep running!"

She glared at him and muttered something he couldn't quite make out, but she reluctantly obeyed. They made it to the ramp when the firefight, which had been distant, suddenly surged in volume behind them. Whoever it was had gotten through and was coming. Kaidan swore under his breath.

As they ran toward the ship, the doors opened to allow them entrance. They stumbled on board and Shepard slammed a fist into a nearby panel to close the doors behind them. "EDI, we're on board. Have Joker get us the hell out of here," she said, panting.

"It is good to see you too, Shepard," a female-sounding, disembodied voice replied. Shepard just shook her head.

"Who was that?" Kaidan asked, leaning against the wall to catch his breath.

"My ship," Shepard replied curtly. "Do you want to explain why she was here at Arcturus to pick us up?"

"Because I asked your crew to help. We couldn't spare any Alliance ships for this."

"You put my ship and my crew in danger because you couldn't spare any of _your_ ships? So it's better to risk my shit than the Alliance's?" Shepard's voice escalated in volume as they stepped into the heart of the ship. Some of the crew in the combat information center were beginning to stare. "I don't know who the fuck you think you are, Kaidan Alenko, but you do not command my ship or my crew and you sure as hell do not have the right to put them in danger!"

"Your crew was given the option. They didn't have to help us. They agreed of their own free will," he said. He kept his voice quiet and even, hoping against hope that it would calm Shepard down.

"That doesn't change the fact that you had the balls to even think about risking my crew for your purposes!"

"It was to save you!"

"I don't care!" Shepard threw up her hands. "This isn't your ship or your crew. Period. Maybe the Alliance should have thought about that before getting them involved. Next time, use your own shit." She was shouting. Kaidan could only shake his head.

"Shepard, we didn't have any other ships available. They're all deployed."

"What, is the Alliance having some sort of space parade to celebrate the fact that they nailed Commander Shepard? Congratu-fucking-lations. I don't care right now. The galaxy has bigger things to worry about."

"You're absolutely right about that much, Shepard. We think the Reapers have hit Earth." There. Let her have that little bit to think about.

Shepard's rage dissipated visibly. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"I don't know. It must have slipped my mind."

"What makes you think the Reapers have hit?"

"Earth went dark about thirty-six hours ago and Reapers are the most likely reason. We haven't heard from anyone who would know what's going on."

Shepard suddenly looked sheepish. "And that's why the Alliance didn't have any ships available." Kaidan nodded. "And, let me guess: someone in Alliance command needed me out of there to check this out?"

He laughed. "Is it that predictable?"

"Always will be." And much to his surprise, she smiled. "Look, I'm sorry I got angry with you. It's just that this has been a lot to take in and that room they kept me in was… cruel. I'm not at my best right now. I'm sorry."

Something about Shepard seemed… sad. He wanted to take her in his arms, tell her that it was okay. But he couldn't. The time for that sort of thing was long gone; that is, if there had ever really been a time for it at all. Instead, all he could do was smile and say, "Don't worry about it."

"I'm going to go change and head down to observation. Would you do me a favor and ask Joker to get us there quietly? I don't need Reapers attacking my ship."

"Sure." He watched her turn away and walk toward the elevator before heading up to the bridge to deliver her message.


End file.
